Dr. Jessica Lipham is a winner of the "Nattie" or Natural Choice Award for 2012 in three separate catagories.

Holistic Practitioner of the Year

Natural Woman's Health Specialist

Acupuncture/TCM Practitioners

MY PHILOSOPHY ON HEALING As a Florida board certified and licensed Doctor of Oriental Medicine with a Doctorate in Natural Medicine, I am a primary care practitioner. I utilize Acupuncture, Chinese herbs, nutrition, natural therapeutics and more in my family practice. Patients range in ages from 7 weeks to 97 years.

My philosophy on healing has always led me to look for alternative methods to achieving balance in both body and mind. The human body has an innate healing mechanism that is often more responsive to gentle nudges rather than the heavy hitters of the modern medicine of this day and age. It is my goal to invigorate the body's natural ability to heal by removing the obstacles that prevent wellness and by re-educating on the fundamental needs of the system as a whole.

My training allows me to blend healing traditions from the East (Oriental Medicine) and the West (Allopathic Medicine), which allows US to work together on an integrative treatment plan that will begin your journey toward optimum health.

We will find the safest, most effective, least invasive methods with minimum side effects and customize this flexible treatment plan for your present situation. By taking into account your whole person (body, mind, and spirit) and lifestyle, we will emphasize the therapeutics that will work for you as an individual.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND Ever since a young age I have known that I enjoy helping people "feel better". After graduating from FSU with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Biology in 1997, I moved to Sarasota, FL to study Emergency Medicine. I completed Paramedical training in Sarasota County as I was applying to medical schools.

My philosophy on healing had always led me to look for alternative methods in achieving body and mind balance. In 1999, I traveled across the country for an educational journey that would change my entire perception of our country's medicine.

National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon became my home for the next seven years. Six years of coursework in Natural Medicine as well as conventional medicine and four years in Oriental medicine ended with the awarding of a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine and a Masters degree in Oriental Medicine upon graduation in 2005.

The summer after graduation, it was an honor to attend an intensive study of the meditative martial art of Qi Gong (chee-gong) for one month in China. Upon returning to the West, it is my vision to share these ancient traditions of health and healing so that we may all benefit from a practice that is over a thousand years old and that assures quality of life as well as longevity.

Beyond my love for practicing the Natural Healing Arts, I enjoy time with nature through gardening, hiking, biking, and swimming. The importance of family and friends is a priority in my life as are the necessities of living a balanced life in harmony with the natural rhythms. Whole and nourishing foods, water, air, and sunlight must be a part of my everyday. It is by example that I intend to spread total wellness throughout the Gulf coast region so that we take responsibility for our health and work together to secure optimum function of the mind, the body, and the spirit.